The countdown is on to the most anticipated running of The Everest yet.
Ka Ying Rising’s trial last week had everyone talking and has added a new element to the famous sprint. Is he fit enough? Is he going as well as he was in Hong Kong? Has he acclimatised to Australia? These are all questions being posed on the back of that piece of work.
One thing we do know, however, is that he will start a short-priced favourite, especially on the totes with the World Pool in action on Saturday.
He meets a field of 11 other runners, with only one slot yet to be filled, which is the Yulong Investments slot that was vacated by Private Harry. It’s expected that Mazu will fill that slot, with connections of Giga Kick opting for him to stay in Melbourne for the Champions Sprint in a few weeks’ time.
Below is the predicted field with the slot holders and horses.
It’s expected that James McDonald will partner Joliestar and that Damian Lane rides Lady Shenandoah.
THE EVEREST, 1200m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age
Hong Kong Jockey Club/ ATC – KA YING RISING (D Hayes) Z Purton
Newgate & GPI Racing – OVERPASS (B Baker) J Parr
TAB – JIMMYSSTAR (C Maher) E Brown
Whitby, Madden, McCain & Werret – BRIASA (M, W & J Hawkes) T Schiller
James Harron – ANGEL CAPITAL (C Waller) B Melham
Coolmore – WAR MACHINE (B, W & JD Hayes) T Clark
Mulberry Racing – JEDIBEEL (B Widdup) K McEvoy
Inglis – MAGIC TIME (G Begg) M Dee
Chris Waller Racing – JOLIESTAR (C Waller)
Fairway Thorougbreds – LADY SHENANDOAH (C Waller)
Godolphin – TEMPTED (C Maher) C Williams
Yulong Investments – Not Announced – MAZU (J Pride) possible starter, no jockey confirmed
The King Charles Stakes will see heavyweight stars Mr Brightside, Fangirl and Pride Of Jenni do battle once more. It will be the first time they have clashed since last year’s Champions Mile at Flemington, which Mr Brightside won.
Joining them is Golden Eagle winner Lake Forest, to be ridden by Zac Purton.
Hill Stakes winner Lindermann isn’t expected to run here on the back up, neither is Autumn Glow – she is likely to be seen next in the Golden Eagle or alternatively the Empire Rose on Derby Day at Flemington.
Three-year-old Within The Law is a possible starter for Bjorn Baker, who also runs Pericles in the Group 1.
Last year’s winner Ceolwulf will also start here.
KING CHARLES STAKES, 1600m, Group 1, Weight-For-Age
MR BRIGHTSIDE (B, W & JD Hayes) C Williams
CEOLWULF (J Pride) C Schofield
PERICLES (B Baker) J Parr
TOM KITTEN (A & S Freedman) B Melham
ROYAL PATRONAGE (G Waterhouse & A Bott) T Clark
LAKE FOREST (W Haggas) Z Purton
PIER (D & B Weatherley) E Brown
EL CASTELLO (J Pride)
FANGIRL (C Waller) J McDonald
PRIDE OF JENNI (C Maher) D Bates
WITHIN THE LAW (B Baker)
The consolation for The Everest is the Sydney Stakes with $3 million on offer in prizemoney.
Leading trainers Joe Pride and Bjorn Baker will have strong representation, each likely to have at least three runners, with Pride nominating Golden Mile, Coal Crusher, Mazu and Dragonstone, whilst Baker has Caballus, Imperial Force, Sandpaper, Iowna Merc, Disneck and Shezanalister.
Other possible Sydney Stakes starters include Rothire and Generosity, who are the likely Everest emergencies.
SYDNEY STAKES, 1200m, Group 3, Weight-For-Age
ROTHFIRE (R Heathcote) Z Purton
COAL CRUSHER (J Pride)
MAZU (J Pride)
DRAGONSTONE (J Pride)
GOLDEN MILE (J Pride)
CABALLUS (B Baker) T Berry
IMPERIAL FORCE (B Baker) J Parr
IOWNA MERC (B Baker) A Morgan
SANDPAPER (B Baker) J Collett
DISNECK (B Baker) D Gibbons
SHEZANALISTER (B Baker) R King
NADAL (C Maher) E Brown
GENEROSITY (C Waller) J McDonald
In Melbourne it’s of course Caulfield Cup day on Saturday and the feature has had some twists in the last 24 hours.
Owner Nick Williams confirmed that Changingoftheguard won’t contest the Caulfield Cup and neither will the Annabel & Rob Archibald trained Mormona.
Questions remain over the place of last year’s runner up Buckaroo’s spot in the field, with it looking unlikely that he’ll back up after his 3rd place in yesterday’s Might And Power Stakes.
Herbert Power Stakes winner Brayden Star goes to the head of the ballot after yesterday, however isn’t a confirmed starter with connections also weighing up a start in the Geelong Cup or Moonee Valley Cup.
Jordan Childs will ride Adelaide River, whilst Harry Coffey has been booked to partner Zardozi.
Chris Waller is set to start Moira, Land Legend, River Of Stars and Birdman.
Nash Rawiller has been booked to ride for the Waller stable in the race and will likely partner Moira.
They could be joined by Valiant King if he makes the final field, albeit he could head to the Geelong or Moonee Valley Cups next.
In-form hoop Ben Allen has picked up the ride on international visitor Absurde.
Below is the field in ballot order, as it stands now.
CAULFIELD CUP, 2400m, Group 1, Handicap
1. HALF YOURS (T & C McEvoy) J Melham 52.5kgs
2. BRAYDEN STAR (T Busuttin & N Young) 51kgs
3. BANKER’S CHOICE (B, W & JD Hayes) B Egan 54kgs
4. BUCKAROO (C Waller) 59kgs (Unlikely)
5. MOIRA (C Waller) N Rawiller 57kgs
6. VAUBAN (G Waterhouse & A Bott) B Shinn 58.5kgs
7. PRESAGE NOCTURNE (A Botti) S Pasquier 57.5kgs
8. MIDDLE EARTH (C Maher) M Zahra 56.5kgs
9. MEYDAAN (S & E Crisford) A Atzeni 56kgs
10. ZARDOZI (C Maher) H Coffey 54.5kgs
11. ABSURDE (W Mullins) B Allen 55.5kgs
12. LAND LEGEND (C Waller) J Mott 55.5kgs
13. GOLDEN SNAP (K Tanaka) S Hamanaka 53.5kgs
14. RIVER OF STARS (C Waller) B Mertens 53.5kgs
15. ADELAIDE RIVER (K Lees) J Childs 54kgs
16. DEAKIN (P Stokes) D Stackhouse 54kgs
17. REVELARE (R Hickmott) L Currie 53.5kgs
18. BIRDMAN (C Waller) J McNeil 52.5kgs
EMERGENCIES
1. ROYAL SUPREMACY (C Maher) R Dolan 52.5kgs
2. VALIANT KING (C Waller) 52kgs
3. BERKSHIRE BREEZE (C Maher) 51.5kgs
4. PLYMOUTH (B, W & JD Hayes) 51kgs
Star Sydney filly Apoclayptic runs in the Thousand Guineas on Saturday, with Mark Zahra taking over from regular hoop Tommy Berry who stays in Sydney.
Flight Stakes placegetter Karinska has also made the trip down to Melbourne for the Group 1 contest and will be ridden by Nash Rawiller.
Ferivia, Getta Good Feeling, Ole Dancer, Just A Journey, Salty Pearl are some of the other key names expected in the nominations tomorrow.
Yum may run here or step up in trip to the 2000m of the Ethereal Stakes on the same day.
THOUSAND GUINEAS, 1600m, Group 1, 3yo Fillies
APOCALYPTIC (M Freedman) M Zahra
KARINSKA (C Waller) N Rawiller
FERIVIA (P Stokes) L Neindorf
OLE DANCER (P Moody & K Coleman) B Shinn
GETTA GOOD FEELING (D O’Brien) B Egan
JUST A JOURNEY (M Freedman) J Childs
STEEL TRAP (T & C McEvoy) L Currie
ETHEREUM GIRL (B, W & JD Hayes) H Coffey
CHATEAU EZE (M Walker) D Stackhouse
MATING CALL (D Clarken & O MacGillivray) J Melham
SALTY PEARL (C Maher) B Allen
ZANY GIRL (S Gandy) J McNeil
Rey Magnerio is expected to return in the Caulfield Sprint, he maybe joined by Nadal who was scratched again yesterday due to the firmness of the track.
Godolphin speedster Pisanello will run here, with Jamie Melham booked to ride him.
CAULFIELD SPRINT, 1000m, Group 2
REY MAGNERIO (R Griffiths & M De Kock) J McNeil
GEE GEE’S MISTRUTH (M Walker)
NADAL (C Maher)
AUSTMARR (A & S Freedman)
DON’T HOPE DO (S Zahra)
PERILOUS FIGHTER (C Douglas)
PISANELLO (C Maher) J Melham
RICH DOTTIE (G Begg)
STOKKE (P Ryan)
Splash Back headlines the Tristarc Stakes field and will be ridden by Nash Rawiller, with stablemate Miraval Rose to have the services of Begg’s stable rider Jordan Childs.
Abounding, Wrote To Arataki and Pounce are some of the other expected starters.
TRISTARC STAKES, 1400m, Group 2
ABOUNDING (R Heathcote) B Shinn
SPLASH BACK (G Begg) N Rawiller
MIRAVAL ROSE (G Begg) J Childs
MISS ARIA (D O’Brien)
ROLL ON HIGH (B, W & JD Hayes)
LADY JONES (S Brown)
GLASGOW LASS (M Laurie)
POUNCE (C Waller)
WROTE TO ARATAKI (M Williams)
SHADHAVAR (T Dabernig)
*All predicted fields are indicative only and subject to change.
